The present invention generally relates to apparatus for evaporating a liquid and, more particularly, to apparatus for evaporating cedar oil.
It is known that cedar oil works well in warding off moths and other undesirable creatures. Indeed cedar closets—closets lined with cedar wood having natural cedar oil therein—have been a popular amenity when constructing or refurbishing homes because of the ability of the cedar closets to naturally ward off moths from clothes and coats that may be stored in the closets. A drawback to cedar closets are the expenses associated with their construction. An additional drawback is that cedar closets lose their effectiveness over time as the natural cedar oil evaporates from the cedar wood lining. As a result, cedar closets can be renewed by sanding of the cedar wood lining. The cedar wood can also be renewed by application of cedar oil to the wood lining, some of which is slowly absorbed by the cedar wood. As will be apparent, however, the renewal of a cedar closet can be both time and labor intensive. Moreover, the renewal of a cedar closet requires that the items otherwise stored in the closet be relocated during the renewal period. As may be expected, many homeowners choose not to renew their cedar closets and thereby avoid such time, expense and hassle; however, in doing so, they lose the benefit of protection of their coats and clothes provided by the cedar closets against moths and other creatures that they previously enjoyed.
Alternatives to cedar closets include the use of moth balls or other chemicals that may be placed in closets and that also ward off moths. Unfortunately, such other measures often have an unpleasant smell associated with them. Indeed, clothes and coats stored in a closet that includes moth balls often must be dry cleaned before such clothes and coats are suitable for wearing because they acquire the “moth ball” smell.
Another alternative to cedar closets is disclosed in Travis U.S. Pat. No. 1,863,511, which is incorporated herein by reference. Travis discloses the use of a box containing cedar shavings. The shavings are retained within the box and openings are provided in the walls of the box for ventilation and release of evaporated cedar oil. The box may be placed in a dresser drawer or suspended in a closet by a coat hanger and serves to provide a cedar smell that is given off by the natural cedar oil contained in the cedar shavings. While believed suitable for its stated intended purpose, it is believed that the effectiveness of the device of Travis diminishes quickly over time as the cedar oil evaporates from the cedar shavings. Indeed, recognizing the limited life of the box, Travis discloses that the box should be kept sealed until ready for actual use, else it may become useless.
Still yet another alternative to cedar closets is disclosed in Galler U.S. Pat. No. 2,111,025, which is incorporated herein by reference. Galler discloses the combined use of paradichlorbenzene (which is used in moth balls) for warding off of moths, in conjunction with cedar oil for masking the smell of the paradichlorbenzene. Galler expressly teaches that “cedar oil is not as effective for moth prevention purposes as might be desired” but that cedar “possesses the valuable property of having a powerful, aromatic odor, considered pleasant by most people.” Like the device in Travis, the device in Galler may be hung in a closet using a hook similar to that of a clothes hanger. While believed suitable for its stated intended purpose, it is believed that clothes and coats protected by the device of Galler nevertheless will smell of moth balls and will therefore need to be dry cleaned prior to use.
In addition to the foregoing known devices, evaporators for liquid perfumes and deodorizers are known and disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,921,025; 4,621,768; and 4,352,457, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, none of these devices are intended to be used for the evaporation of cedar oil to provide an equivalent means to obtaining the benefits of a new or revitalized cedar closet.
Accordingly, it is believed that a need exists for a device that provides the benefits of a new or revitalized cedar closet and that is simple to manufacture and use. It furthermore is believed that need exists for such a device that is “green”, i.e., that is reusable and not a disposable, single-use device. It is believed that one or more of these needs are addressed by one or more embodiments of the invention.